Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) on Sunday called for the cancellation of the March 9th governorship election in the state.
APC said the call became necessary because of so many electoral anomalies including cases of snatching of ballot boxes, non use of Card Readers, thuggery and intimidation witnessed in so many LGAs in the state.
It also added that the manipulation of voters at polling units by some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also very high which they said would not be allowed to stand.
Addressing journalists in a Press Conference in Aba, the Publicity Secretary of Abia APC, Comrade Benedict Godson said his party calls for total cancellation of all results and the immediate sack of Dr. Joseph Iloh, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC.
“The election in Abia yesterday (Saturday) was a fraud. It is not worthy to be recorded as election. Abia APC calls for total cancellation of the governorship election in Abia because there was no proper voting except if INEC is saying now that the criminalities we witnessed yesterday is the definition of election in Nigeria.
“What took place on the 9th of March 2019 in many LGAs, Wards and Polling Units in our state was an organized crime. It was never an election. The intimidation of our agents, our candidates, supporters and even many innocent Abia people who only came out to effect the change we all are yearning for was what took place.
“The REC, Dr. Joseph Iloh is a PDP member. Before the election, we kept saying we don’t trust him and the then police commissioner who was only removed noon Friday and the new person cannot effect much changes in security.
“In almost all the Wards in Osisioma South and Osisioma North State Constituencies, the PDP thugs snatched ballot boxes, beat up our agents and intimidated everyone who tried to express a different opinion.
“Our candidate in Osisioma South State Constituency, Hon. Chima Oriaku was beaten black and blue by the PDP thugs and was hospitalized. Information we are getting now is that his life is still under threat and we are doing our best to ensure nothing goes wrong with him.
“Innocent Abia people who came out at Osisioma were chased away in places they discovered were APC strongholds.”
Godson also alleged that in many local government wards, Card Readers were abandoned for manual voting as INEC staff were seeing directing voters to vote without due process.
“They just thumbprinted recklessly without due process. From Obingwa, Osisioma, Ohafia, Ukwa East and West down to Ugwunagbo and Isiala Ngwa South and North there was nothing like elections. Materials were missing and incomplete in so many places.”
In a similar development, the Deputy State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Felix Nkoro has called for the cancellation of the entire election in Osisioma LGA describing it as a huge fraud.
“Before the arrival of any other party agents, INEC in collusion with the PDP has started making use of electoral materials. At St. Michaels in Osisioma LGA, agent of APC was beaten badly for questioning the wrong doings he witnessed going on there.
“In Abayi Umuocham Girls’ Secondary School, PDP thugs and security agencies pushed our agents out and manipulated votings. In Ariaria and Okpulo-Umuobu it was same story of intimidation and harrasment.
“The Card Readers were not used. Everything was done manual. Some persons voted up to seven times for the PDP. We hereby reject the election in Osisioma and call for its cancellation,” Nkoro said.
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